Death Of The Moth Rhetorical Analysis

The Death of the Moth Rhetorical Analysis
The concept of the struggle between life and death is portrayed in Virginia Woolf’s narrative essay, “The Death of the Moth.” Woolf recounts about a time she read her book in a quiet room and noticed a simple moth. Her calm, contemplative nature led her to examine that same moth which was aimlessly flying around a window that barred it from the outside. Eventually, she realizes its engagement in the struggle between life and death. Through her sympathetic and somber observation of that moth, Woolf reveals her perspective of the inevitability of death.
Woolf initially shows an indifferent attitude towards the moth by acknowledging its existence while contrasting it with the more exciting life that is
She downgrades the moth with harsh diction as she calls the moth’s actions “pathetic” and its life and opportunities “meagre.” Woolf explicitly adopts this negative point of view because after portraying all the energy in the rooks, she returns to observe the complete opposite, a plain moth. This transition from energetic to dull leads Woolf to recognize nothing but negative characteristics of the moth at first. She criticizes the moth and pities it by pointing out the moth’s weaknesses that make it seem vulnerable and susceptible to harm in an attempt to evoke the audience’s feelings of pity for it. Woolf continues to reiterate her perspective that the moth is frail and weak. However, this is where Woolf begins to reveal her contemplative nature. Woolf’s tone transitions into fascination as she compares the moth to a “tiny bead of pure life” whose actions resemble “dancing and zig-zagging.” Here, she illustrates the moth’s actions in a conflicting perspective in order to present the moth in the same light as the rooks, one filled with energy and life, which reveals her complex attitude towards the moth. Although Woolf is aware of the moth’s vulnerability, she attempts to engage the audience in the story itself by allowing them to share and experience her opposing perspectives. Woolf is indicating that no matter how minute or lackluster the moth may seem, it can also be wonderful in its attempts to enjoy